


Ice and Steel

by allywonderland



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Implied Violence, Lin Beifong Badass of the Century, Tahno has a sister, With a cameo from the Wolfbats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-08 00:11:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/436959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allywonderland/pseuds/allywonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Major spoilers for Book 1 episode 10, "Turning the Tides") Lin Beifong has faced some hard things in her life, but she doesn't know how to face this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ice and Steel

Losing her bending was an event that Lin couldn't put into words.

She doesn't think Amon was telling the truth when he gave her his ultimatum; even if there had been more than one choice for her, he would have taken her bending no matter what she told him.

The prisons had been as degrading as they could possibly be.

Being caged with Tarrlok had been an experience she wouldn't soon forget.

Watching the zeppelins descend on her city had been almost more than she could bear, turning away from the glass windows and suppressing a shudder as the bombs fell.

But this, _this_ , now, watching Amon take innocent peoples' bending in his little _demonstration_ ; this was simply volatile and disgusting.

She is made to watch on her knees, hands tied and bound behind her back, from an allegedly privileged position, giving her a sweeping view of all her people spread, waiting, before Amon.  Every single person she failed, exploited and violated before hundreds more like them.

Lin Beifong has faced many hard things in her life, but this, this, she doesn't think she can bear.

A young man to her left makes a small, choked noise, and she glances briefly to see a sharp pain flashing in his eyes.  Looking back to the stage she sees a young girl being lead up, in green and blue, with long, curling dark hair that falls across her eyes, trembling as she is pushed and prodded forward.

The man makes another noise, shoulders twisting, and he lunges up towards the balcony.

"Hey!" One of the masked Equalists shouts and grabs him, shoving him roughly back to the ground, and the man clenches his teeth against a cry of pain.  "You are to remain still during the ceremony.  Unless, that is, you're feeling gluttonous for some pain."

He's trembling now, Lin sees, and others beside and around them are glancing nervously their way.  Any commotion now and Lin is sure the Equalists wouldn't hesitate to take them all out.

On the stage the young girl is crying out while Amon brushes his hands, and Equalists have to drag her off stage because she's shaking so much.  No allowance is made for her, and another victim is lead up from the crowd.

Lin looks back to the man beside her and something clicks.

"You're the Wolf-Bat waterbender."

He snorts, rolling his eyes towards her, but there is more grief in them than Lin thinks he'd like to let show.  "Former," he says.  "Or did you miss the demonstration?"

Yet another person that she's failed, then.

"You knew that girl."

He swallows and doesn't meet her gaze.

The Equalist guards watching them shift, uncomfortable with conversation between their wards.

"I'm sorry," Lin says, "for failing in my duty during the tournament."

Tahno snorts again.  "Not your fault.  You get used to it, eventually," he says.

Lin shifts and raises an eyebrow.  "That a fact?"

He looks away again, down to his knees, to the men beside him, and Lin is sure they must be his teammates.  "No," he whispers, barely audible.

"I didn't think so."

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to quillery on Tumblr. ♥


End file.
